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mere reason could encourage to hope for: SERM. that creates no difficulty. The thing is received with ready affent. God does not appear worse, but better, more gracious, more bountiful, than the reason of men, alone, prefumed to think. And the mind being enlarged by the discoveries of revelation, it chearfully admits the noblest and most delightful idea of the future recompenses.

3.) This argument may deserve the serious confideration of those, who reject revelation.

For whether there be any revelation from God, or not; there will be a reckoning, and fuitable retributions after this life. Reason teaches as much beyond the poffibility of a fair confutation, or well grounded doubt and question. You will come into judgement after death, and receive according to the things done in the body. Let not then any shynesse of that awful proceeding, which the gospel speaks of, in a general day of judgement, form any unhappy prejudice in the minds of any. For reason itself teaches, that the actions of men will pass under a review, either in public, in one general judgement, or in particular: and that a retribution will be made accordingly.

SERM.
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Let all therefore attentively confider the evidences of the gospel-revelation. For if it be attested by good evidence, and should be rejected by men, to whom it is proposed; this is one thing, of which they will give an account.

4.) Lastly, the argument from reason, in behalf of future recompenfes, may be made use of as a warning to some weak and inconfiderate Christians: and establish the perfuasion, that without holinesse no man shall fee God, or attain to happinesse in a future state.

The cogent argument for a future state, now proposed, is founded upon the divine perfections. God is not here, in this world, an avenger of evil, or a rewarder of good, so fully as is reasonable to expect. Confequently there will be another state, and farther recompenfes for good and bad, according to their works here. No revelation therefore can propose an act of grace for obstinate and impenitent finners. Reason and Revelation concur, and are entirely harmonious. Both say: There is no peace to the wicked. And: It shall be well with the righteous. But revelation excells in the justnesse of it's descriptions of the miserie of the one, and the happinesse of the other.

SER

SERMON XI.

The Gospel the true Way of Salvation.

ACTS xvi. 31.

And they said: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be faved, and thy house.

:

HESE words contain an answer to a very important question : What must I do to be faved? And we have reason to think, that it is here rightly answered. It does therefore deserve our serious and attentive observation.

Sermon I. upon the Text.

St. Paul

SERM.
XI.

St. Paul was now at Philippi, a Roman colonie, and large city in Macedonia: where he preached the gospel, without any very great molestation, that we know of, till he healed the indisposition of the maiden, said to have a spirit of divination: by whom some artful men had made profit, pretending to answer the curious enquiries of people concerning divers matters. These, now deprived of farther gain in that way, raised a clamour against the Apostle, and those with him, saying, that they troubled the city, and taught customs contrarie to their laws, as Romans. And they so far incensed both the people and the magistrates, that Paul, and Silas, one of his fellow-laborers, were beaten, and thrust into prison. But there being in the night an earthquake, which was plainly miraculous: the prison being shaken, the doors opened, and the fetters of all the prisoners loosed, whilft yet no one escaped: the keeper of the prison, who before had heard fomewhat of Paul and Silas, and had fome general notion of their doctrine, now terrified, and perceiving this extraordinarie event to be a divine interposition in their favour, put

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put to his prisoners, with solicitude, and SERM. with respect and esteem, hoping for a full and fatisfactorie answer, that momentous question: Sirs, what must I do to be faved?

We need not, I think, hesitate to understand this question in the most comprehenfive sense. This person could not be ignorant of the general principles of religion, so far as usually known by Heathen people, living in the politer cities of Greece, and the Roman Empire, who all had fome notions of a future state. Moreover, Paul and his fellowlaborers had been some time at Philippi. And the young woman, beforementioned, had followed them in the streets of the city, many, that is, several days, crying aloud: These men are fervants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. When therefore the keeper of the prison says: Sirs, what must I do to be faved ; the question cannot be reckoned less important for the meaning, than that put to our Saviour by the young man among the Jews, related in the Gospels: What shall I do, that Mat. xix. I may inherit eternal life. And it is put, as it seems, with a better temper, than that

16. Mark x. 17.

was.

The

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